Cost of Living Comparison Between Winterthur and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Winterthur and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,070 in Winterthur versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,904 in Winterthur versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,737 in Winterthur versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Winterthur is roughly 76% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Winterthur 196% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.19 CHF 25.19

$17.30 €14.87

80.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 CHF 100

$63.3 €54.4

96.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.76 CHF 15.15

$11.39 €9.79

64.71%

Cappuccino

$6.03 CHF 4.87

$3.19 €2.74

89.03%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 CHF 4.37

$2.45 €2.10

120.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 4.06

$1.76 €1.52

185.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.74 CHF 7.06

$3.59 €3.09

143.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 CHF 5.51

$3.39 €2.92

101.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.80

$1.24 €1.06

79.84%

White Bread (500g)

$4.06 CHF 3.28

$1.98 €1.71

105.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.76 CHF 3.84

$1.52 €1.31

213.16%

Eggs

$7.59 CHF 6.13

$4.04 €3.47

87.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$33.05 CHF 26.69

$13.54 €11.64

144.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$30.13 CHF 24.33

$8.39 €7.21

259.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.32 CHF 34.98

$18.25 €15.69

137.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.36 CHF 3.52

$2.29 €1.97

90.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 CHF 1.76

$1.74 €1.50

25.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.61

$1.86 €1.60

73.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.92 CHF 5.59

$2.63 €2.26

163.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 CHF 2.05

$1.92 €1.65

32.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 CHF 2.07

$2.09 €1.80

22.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 2.03

$1.44 €1.24

74.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CHF 0.96

$0.84 €0.72

41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.92 CHF 8.82

$6.78 €5.83

61.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.62 CHF 11.00

$5.71 €4.91

138.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 CHF 2.71

$1.38 €1.18

142.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 CHF 3.29

$2.22 €1.91

83.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.60 CHF 4.52

$2.40 €2.06

133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.8 CHF 77.4

$46.78 €40.22

104.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.56 CHF 4.49

$4.17 €3.59

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.53 CHF 2.85

$1.14 €0.98

209.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 CHF 49.78

$17.68 €15.20

248.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 CHF 1.85

$2.32 €2.00

-0.86%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$43.6K CHF 35.2K

$35.3K €30.4K

23.25%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$40.3K CHF 32.5K

$41.4K €35.6K

-2.84%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$428 CHF 346

$170 €146

151.32%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$31.51 CHF 25.44

$19.34 €16.62

62.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.7 CHF 64.4

$33.64 €28.92

136.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.2 CHF 66.3

$48.10 €41.35

70.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.74 CHF 27.24

$19.90 €17.11

69.55%

Cinema Ticket

$28.01 CHF 22.62

$9.92 €8.53

182.36%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,875 CHF 1,514

$717 €617

161.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 26.9K

$17.5K €15.0K

90.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$183 CHF 147

$105 €90.1

74.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$148 CHF 120

$46.95 €40.36

215.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$205 CHF 166

$103 €88.9

98.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$470 CHF 380

$124 €107

279.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,363 CHF 1,908

$1,677 €1,441

40.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 CHF 1,369

$1,271 €1,093

33.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,747 CHF 3,026

$2,985 €2,566

25.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,547 CHF 2,056

$1,992 €1,713

27.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.1K CHF 18.6K

$7,826 €6,728

194.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K CHF 13.5K

$4,658 €4,004

259.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,469 CHF 5,224

$1,583 €1,361

308.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.48

3.79

-34.56%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Winterthur: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,363 in Winterthur and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Winterthur pays 309% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $124 in Winterthur vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $664 vs $283 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Winterthur vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Winterthur and Lisbon differ by about 76% in total monthly costs ($4,070 vs $2,316 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 309% higher in Winterthur, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,363 in Winterthur versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,875 in Winterthur versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 135% higher in Winterthur. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Winterthur and Lisbon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Winterthur. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.